A Basket of Summer Fruit
Devotions for Growing Christians
A Basket of Summer Fruit
Amos 8:1–2 - “This is what the Lord God showed me—a basket of summer fruit. He said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass them by.”
The phrase, "A basket of summer fruit" probably conveys a picturesque arrangement of delicious strawberries, cherries, or ripe peaches. For the prophet Amos, however, the vision of summer fruit was not such a pleasant sight. The scorching summer heat of the Middle East is devastating for fruit, so Amos saw a basket of ripe fruit that was about to go bad.
The basket of fruit was an object lesson that represented the nation of Israel. God had been incredibly patient with His people, but they refused to respond to His grace. They hadn’t listened to the warnings that God had sent them through the prophets.
A basket of ripe fruit indicates the end of a season, and in the same way, Israel had arrived at the end of her national existence. There was no hope of recovery. Just as the ripening process in fruit cannot be reversed, so the moral and spiritual deterioration in Israel had passed the "point of no return." A basket of rotten fruit must be emptied and the fruit thrown away, and the corrupt nation would soon be removed from the land and scattered abroad.
This "summer fruit" prophecy of judgment literally took place about 30 years after Amos received this vision. At that time, the land of Israel was divided into two kingdoms:
- The northern kingdom of Israel (10 tribes), with its capital at Samaria.
- The southern kingdom of Judah (2 tribes), with its capital at Jerusalem.
The prophecies of Amos were directed primarily at the northern kingdom of Israel. In fulfillment of these prophecies, Samaria fell to the Assyrian army in 722BC. This takeover was so thorough that no trace of the northern 10 tribes of Israel exists today.
The southern kingdom of Judah was later conquered when Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC, but the Jews (including individuals from the northern tribes who had migrated south to live in the kingdom of Judah) were preserved as a race throughout their Babylonian captivity.
Before we look further at the reasons for God's judgment of Israel, let’s look at the prophet Amos himself. Amos was born and raised in a small town in the southern kingdom of Judah. He was not a trained preacher; he was a sheep breeder, and he also pruned sycamore trees. Despite his lack of spiritual training, God called Amos to be a "missionary" to the northern kingdom. And Amos answered the call.
Even though called by God, Amos didn’t always experience smooth sailing in his ministry. This is a good reminder that problems are not necessarily an indication that you’ve made a mistake about God's call. Amos didn’t give up in his service, and neither should we!
In verses 4–6, Amos gives some of the specific reasons why God had to bring judgment upon the nation of Israel:
- Lack of concern for the poor and needy
- Love for money
- Cheating for material gain
- Religious hypocrisy
- Abuse of power in terms of slavery
The sins of spiritual idolatry and sexual immorality were also practiced in Israel at this time, but it was the social injustices in Israel which God specifically condemned in this vision. The Lord swore solemnly that these social sins would not go unpunished!
Where do we stand in reference to social justice? As a nation, we certainly need to examine ourselves. And while it's easy to pinpoint the social sins of the nation, how do we personally measure up to the biblical standards of social justice? Do we really care about the disadvantaged and homeless, for example?
From verse 8 to the end of the chapter, the consequences of Israel's social sins are pronounced. First of all, the land itself would suffer (vs 8–9). Earthquakes, floods and astronomical disturbances describe the coming devastation of the land of Israel. The fact that Jesus used similar language to describe the events preceding His second coming may indicate that Amos’s prophecy also speaks of the end time. (See Matthew 24:27–30.) However, there is certainly a present-day application in these verses as well.
In verse 10, a second consequence of Israel's social sins is stated: Joyous occasions would come to an end. When the Assyrians overran the kingdom of Israel there was great suffering. Family and social life were completely destroyed and many lost their lives. Loss of joy is always a consequence of sin - any sin.
A final consequence of Israel's social sins is given in verses 11-14. They would experience an unsatisfied spiritual hunger. The accuracy of this prophecy may be seen even today in the land of Israel. Many of the people are very religious, but their spiritual appetite is not satisfied. Social injustice invariably brings spiritual famine--to a nation or to an individual.
Praise God, the prophecies of Amos do not end with the vision of the basket of summer fruit! In the final chapter of Amos, there is a vision of future blessing - undeserved blessing (9:11–15). Although God had to judge Israel, He was willing to forgive and forget. There would be a future faithful nation. The land and the people would be fruitful once again! How thankful we should be that God gives visions of future blessing as well as visions of summer fruit!
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2021, Ron Reid)